The Ball
by Skyrvy
Summary: After the war is over and won, Renais throws a ball. Eirika dances with almost everyone there except for the one man she really wants to, and she begins searching for her Seth...
The ball was an event unlike any other before or after. _Everyone_ was there. The war was over, the world was saved, and all were ready to put that time behind them and celebrate. Every soldier was invited, and the Renais's palace ballroom was overflowing into the surrounding rooms with friends and soldiers in arms, the men in their decorative uniforms, and the ladies in the beautiful gowns they had not had the opportunity to wear for so long.

The ball was a success, and Renais's new queen was certainly the bell of it. Dressed in royal silver and white that fell across her delicate shoulders and accentuated her small but shapely form, Queen Eirika had hardly stopped dancing since the night began. Friend and comrade and noble alike had escorted her to the dance floor, and Eirika was more than happy to comply. She had danced with everyone, it seemed. She had even danced with Ephraim. She had danced with all except for the one man she truly wished see.

Eagerly, her blue eyes scanned the sea of faces, searching for that ruddy hair, those sanguine eyes. She pushed through the crowd, the hubbub almost deafening with laughter and music. She spun in a circle, searching, searching. Where was he?

"Forde," Eirika called over the din. "Have you the Seth anywhere?" Forde glanced at the queen.

"Er, I think I saw him in that direction at some point." He waved his hand vaguely. Eirika turned, seeing familiar face after face but still not the one she wanted to see the most. She squeezed past Dozla who was laughing loudly at his Lady L'Rachel's comment, and came to the edge of the dance floor. Her eyes scanned the dancers wondering if perhaps he was there with someone, but no, she saw him nowhere. She sighed, feeling almost hopeless in the pandemonium.

Then, across the floor on the other side of the crowd, his eyes found hers first. A small smile touched his lips, and his dark eyes held something else that night, some deep mystery as they stared straight at Eirika. Her heart leapt, and the smile returned to her face. Making a small gesture, Seth nodded, and they began walking around the crowd towards one another, trying not to lose sight of each other. Eirika pushed through the surge of the people, losing sight of Seth once or twice and anxiously searching until she saw his face once more. When they were finally close enough to talk, just near the edge of the dance floor, trying to keep from being pushed onto it by the crowd behind them, Seth said, "My lady, I have been looking for you."

"And I you, Seth."

He smiled, "I watched you for some time on the dance floor, but then you slipped into the crowd, and I lost sight of you."

Eirika laughed, "I was in the crowd looking for you!"

"To be honest, I'm not sure how I could have lost sight of you in the first place."

"Well, it's quite chaotic in here, so it isn't so hard to do."

Seth nodded. "It's an event, is it not?"

"It is!" Eirika replied. Seth stared at her, as if thinking of something else.

"My Lady," his voice was lower than before as he said, "I have been wanting to tell you all night… You are _especially_ stunning this evening… I don't believe there are words to quite describe your beauty and radiance." Eirika blushed and grinned, shyly touching her hair, which was a mess of braids and curls piled atop her head. She had thought it a bit much at the time, but now she was glad for all the effort.

Before she could reply, the song ended, and a new one began, a rather slow waltz. Eirika glanced out at those on the floor. When she looked back at Seth, his hand was extended towards her, and his voice was warm as he said, "would you give me the honor of this dance?"

Though these were the words she had been waiting to hear all night, Eirika was suddenly shy. She gently bit her ruby red lips and gave Seth her hand. The moment he held her hand in his, she felt perfectly at ease, as if her hand had been made to fit into his.

His eyes crinkled slightly with his smile, and he led her to the middle of the dance floor. He put his hand on her waist as she put hers on his shoulder. Confidently, Seth led her into the waltz, and Eirika coyly looked up at him, "How many times have I told you to call me Eirika?"

Seth's eyes seemed to captivate her. Quietly, he murmured, "Forgive me, Eirika…" Her heart seemed to skip a beat as Seth led her calmly, her gloved hand clasped in his. As she stared into his eyes, the dancers around them seemed to fade. She didn't speak. She didn't need to. Their eyes were fixated on one another, and that was all the conversation they needed. Silent, they swirled across the floor. As she suddenly felt that she, Seth, and the music were the only things in the world that existed, she became deaf to the hubbub around them. Everything began to slow until it felt as if time was barely moving.

Without realizing she was doing it, Eirika moved closer to Seth as his hand on her side slid a little farther back, pulling her a little closer still. Her hand on his shoulder inched upwards, around his neck, and she couldn't look away from his eyes, couldn't even seem to breathe. Electricity jolted her everywhere they touched, but it was strangely nice. She felt safe, felt as if she belonged just where she was…. She felt as if she was his, his own, and he was hers.

Seth's dark eyes roved across her face, and Eirika found she was biting her lips again. Seth's eyes flickered to them, and he leaned slightly closer, their swirling to the waltz slowing as the music came to a stop. Then they stood still, breathless, and Eirika felt frozen, heat swirling through her body.

Clapping erupted, and Eirika's trance was shattered. She blinked, the world, the sound, the crowd returning in a rush, and then she was clapping also, her body her own once again, the heat surging through her, burning through her as she tried to calm her racing heart. A different melody began after a short moment, and she turned to look at Seth and frowned. He was gone. Eirika spun, and just saw his coattails as he disappeared into the crowd.

Without thinking, Eirika ran after him. Someone tried to stop her, asked her for a dance, and she hastily apologized and hurried through the crowd, trying to catch sight of Seth once more. Where? Where was he? Ah! She saw him turning the corner, and she rushed forward, barely keeping him in sight as he slipped through the crowd like a ghost. _How does he do that_? She thought to herself as she raced to keep up. She couldn't lose sight of him. She must catch up! A laughing group walked in front of her, and she ducked around them, her eyes searching. Where had he gone? She ran down a hall and looked left and right. He wasn't there. He wasn't there! A pathetic whimper escaped her. He was gone.

Seth was suffocating. He had to breathe. He had to get out of that blasted castle. Carelessly, he ripped the cravat from his neck and left it on the floor, loosening his jacket as he walked away. Without even having to direct them, his feet took him where he wanted to go. The training grounds. He could not get there fast enough.

The instant the fresh air hit him, he stopped and shut his eyes, his heart racing, his breathing ragged. _Fool. Fool!_ He thought to himself. _Get ahold of yourself. She's the queen! Will you betray your own duty by compromising hers?_ Things he had never felt before tore up his gut, and he tore off his jacket in response, carelessly dropping it to the ground as he strode forward, yanking the ornamental sword from his belt with a _shing!_ The dummies in the training ground were not good enough opponents to take his mind off of his queen, but they were excellent outlets for the anger and the jealously for a man that did not yet exist—the man that would someday marry Eirika in place of him.

He cut and pounded at the dummy, reckless emotions turning his usually cool head into a fiery furnace. Seth roared and slashed, the sword in his hand getting caught in the wooden post behind it. He pulled, and it wouldn't come out. Growling, he yanked it free.

"I think we might need some new dummies if you keep going after them like that."

Seth spun at the voice he instantly recognized.

"Your Highness," Seth murmured in surprise, the sword falling from his suddenly lifeless hand and clattering to the ground. The anger and jealousy instantly dissolved from his heart, leaving only love and longing in its place. Eirika stood silent, looking at him. The moonlight shone down on them, the silent night having a chillness in the air.

The radiant, silver, blue, and white form of Eirika shimmered, a lock of her hair falling from the complex braids piled on her head, and Seth was captivated. She was like a sprite or a goddess from another world, her red lips the only bright color on her, and all Seth could think about was sinking his fingers into that hair and undoing the bindings, crushing her to him and kissing those red lips.

She took a step towards him, and Seth clenched his trembling hands, trying to contain his desires. "Your Highness, what are you doing out here? You should be inside, where it's warm, enjoying the ball."

"But Seth," she whispered, "I couldn't enjoy it anymore. Not after you left. I tried to follow you, but you slipped away. Then I thought that maybe you were out here." She took a step nearer to him, "I hoped, anyway."

Seth took a step back, "No, no, Eirika, you mustn't… Your Majesty, you mustn't say things like that."

She looked crestfallen, "Seth.., mustn't I? Do you… not feel…" An arrow pierced Seth's heart as he realized that she must think he didn't care for her.

"No, Eirika, I don't— I mean—It's just that—" He stuttered. Pausing, he took a breath and tried again. "I _do_ care for you, Eirika." He shivered as the words left his lips _, "Deeply."_ She stepped towards him again, only a couple feet away now, and it was all Seth could do not to close the distance and wrap her in his arms. "But you're the _queen_ now. We can't… be together. You must marry… a noble or… or a prince—"

"No, Seth, it doesn't have to be tha—"

"You can't degrade yourself for the likes of me."

She stood in front of him then, her eyes shining, gently biting her quivering lip. Seth's eyes slipped down her face, and he desperately wished she'd stop doing that. It was driving him mad. He swayed closer.

"Seth," Eirika whispered. His eyes returned to hers. "How can you say such things? Degrade myself? I don't care about titles. You could be destitute in the streets, and I still wouldn't deserve someone like you." She spoke her words gently but at the same time, forcefully, and her eyes flickered across his face. His heart skipped a beat, and he found his knuckles brushing across her cheek of their own accord.

"My lady… Eirika… I have warred against my feelings for so long, but it has been in vain…. I have lost the battle…. _Eirika_ … I'm in love with you." Eirika's eyes shined, and she touched her hands to his chest, seemingly at a loss for words. Seth cupped her cheek. "I have nothing to offer you but myself. Will you have me?"

With those simple words, Seth was so close to his love that he could feel her breath on his skin. "Yes," She whispered as if that word meant everything in the world, "Yes. Yes. A thousand times, _yes_."

Seth pulled her to him and finally kissed her, the love in his heart keeping him achingly gentle. Afraid he might break her, he passionately but delicately brushed his lips against hers. He covered her mouth and held her tightly, wanting nothing more than to feel her in his arms. His fingers slid into the curls atop her head and undid them, pins falling to the ground as her hair draped messily across her shoulders. Her small form seemed to melt into him as her long arms slithered up his chest around his neck, pulling him closer still.

She trembled, her body pressed to his, as he kissed her long and slow. He held her as tightly as he dared, breathless, his lips breaking momentarily from hers and flickering to her face and then her neck, losing himself in the passion. He kissed her cheekbone, the skin just above her lips, and the crevice between her neck and her shoulder.

"Seth," Eirika whispered, half pleadingly, half desirously. With that word, he caught himself as his mouth pressed to her throat. Forcing his hunger down, Seth looked into her eyes, their bodies entwined.

"Forgive me," he whispered back. "I was losing myself." Eirika said nothing, staring up at him for a moment. Then she reached up and grazed her lips against his chin. Seth shut his eyes, trying to calm himself as she kissed his jaw and the corner of his mouth and his lower lip. "You're driving me mad, woman." Seth murmured.

There was love in her voice as she replied, "To think I even have such a power…"

He looked at her, his eyes slightly glazed. His eyes fell down to her lips, and he began to lose focus again. Huskily, he murmured, "My love, we should go in. Enjoy the ball."

"Oh…, you're probably right. We can announce our engagement."

He couldn't stop the smile on his face, "You… really want to? Right now? Are you sure?" He paused a second, "Maybe you should wait." The thought of her announcing their engagement and then regretting it tomorrow, forced him to say, "You might regret it—"

"Seth." Her hands touched his face. "I won't change my mind. I'd never change my mind. You have no idea how much I love you."

Seth's gut twisted, and he couldn't stop himself from claiming her lips once more.

Breathlessly, he released his hold on her before he lost himself again, clutching only her hand. She smiled at him, and he led her back inside.

In the ballroom once more, Eirika took the lead and pulled Seth with her to the stage where the band played. She whispered to the conductor, and he nodded, bringing the song quickly to an end. As the crowd clapped, Eirika stood up front, holding Seth's hand. "Everyone!" She said loudly. It took another try, but slowly, she drew everyone's attention to her. As all eyes stared up at her and Seth curiously, Eirika suddenly froze, realizing too late what her appearance must be: red cheeks, bitten lips, mussed hair. What must they think of her?

She glanced at Seth for support, and he smiled, a small flicker of anxiety appearing in his eyes. Did he think she was having second thoughts? The anxiety disappeared, and he squeezed her hand. Eirika turned back to the crowd, noticing so many faces looking up at her: Prince Innes, Kyle, Lady L'Arachel, Princess Tana, and… and Ephraim, all peering at her inquisitively. "Everyone, I have a… a _joyous_ announcement to make." She glanced back at Seth once more, and this time, it was she who smiled. "You all know this man _so_ very well. People call him by many different names: General, Silver Knight, _Sir_ —" this got a few chuckles out of the crowd, "—or just Seth. However, a few moments ago, I was able to acquire a new name for him." She clutched his hand a little tighter. "Ladies and gentleman, I would like to introduce you once again to this man, Seth, my fiancé."

The crowd stood frozen, and for a millisecond, Eirika feared the reaction that was about to come. But then, the first cheer resounded, and Eirika's eyes found Ephraim's, a grin on his face as the building erupted into joyous clapping in cheering. Eirika's eyes danced across them, delight filling her heart.

Then someone started chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Within moments, almost everyone had taken up the chant. Eirika blushed, and Seth suddenly pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his.

The crowd erupted.

That moment, with all of her friends and family cheering, and the love of her life pressing his lips to hers, was beyond doubt the happiest moment of Eirika's entire life.


End file.
